1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cable reel which may be used in conjunction with a cradle and a handset, such as a telephone handset or remote control for electronic apparatus, such as is typically but not exclusively used in various modes of mass transport including aircraft, vessels, rail and road passenger vehicles. Such handsets and cradles may also be used to facilitate audience participation or interaction in theatres, arenas, lecture theatres, libraries and similar locations.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide a cradle in the armrest of a chair, such as a seat in an aircraft, for housing a handset comprising, for example, a telephone and/or a remote controller for in-flight entertainment apparatus. Such handsets can also include call functions for the in-flight staff. A typical example is the model RU-AA6501-01 of Matsushita Electrical Industrial Company Limited of Osaka, Japan. Similar handsets and cradles may also be mounted in other locations such as in or on aircraft bulkheads or seat backs: see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,128,993, 5,410,597 and 5,155,766.
Conventionally such cradles comprise a recess in which the handset is stowed and from which the handset can be removed for example by lifting. The handset is electrically powered and connected via a cable which is housed in and may be drawn from a cable reel as the handset is removed from the cradle. As the handset is stowed, the cable is rewound into the reel under spring action, so as to leave no potentially hazardous freely exposed cable loop. To simplify cradle installation as well as helping to ensure proper retraction of the cable, the reel may be housed in or mounted on the cradle, with the cable routed directly from the reel into the recess. Alternatively the cable reel may be mounted separately from the cradle with a cable run or guide extending therebetween (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,412 and International patent publication no. WO 95/29552).
With repeated use of the handset, the cable is prone to wear. The cable or reel are often provided with a releasable locking mechanism to relieve the spring tension on the extended cable and prevent this tension from being experienced by the user. The locking mechanism is likewise prone to wear and damage in use. Prior art cable reels are not readily serviced or repaired xe2x80x9con sitexe2x80x9d, i.e. at the location (aircraft, vehicle, building etc) in which they are used. A particular difficulty arises because the handset cable is wound/unwound from a rotatable spool and connected to a ribbon cable coiled within the cable reel to provide an electrical connection between the moving handset cable and a stationary connector on the reel casing. The spool, handset cable and ribbon cable cannot be readily dismantled and reassembled without the use of specialist tools and off-site facilities.
To simplify manufacture, a prior art cable reel developed by the present applicants has a spool comprising a pair of flanges defining between them a circumferential groove from which the handset cable is wound and unwound, a central, axially extending recess in which the ribbon cable is housed, and a notch in one of the flanges into which the handset cable and an attached ribbon cable can be simply laid so as to pass from the groove into the recess without the need to thread the cables through the spool in a direction along the cable axes, or the need to subsequently make up a connection between the ribbon cable and the handset cable. However these prior cable reels are manufactured as sealed units, either as a discrete unit for use with a separate handset cradle, or integrated with a handset cradle which forms a sealed housing for the reel. In either case, on site servicing of the cable reel is not practicable. Once the cable or other internal components of the reel become worn or damaged the entire reel or cradle assembly must be discarded.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable reel which may be readily serviced on site without the need for special tools or equipment.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a cable reel having cable components which may readily be replaced without the use of special tools or equipment.
It is a further preferred object of the invention to provide a cable reel having a mechanism for locking the cable in an extended position against a retraction spring force, in which the mechanism is accessible for servicing or repair.
The invention provides a cable reel comprising:
a casing defining a cable exit opening and an access opening;
a static electrical connection located externally of the casing;
a spool rotatably received within the casing and having a circumferentially extending recess opening radially outwardly of the spool, the spool further having an inner axially extending recess and an axially open notch communicating between the circumferentially extending recess and the inner axially extending recess;
a handset cable having a first end and a second end, the handset cable first end being attachable to a handset in use, at least a portion of the handset cable being windable into or out of the spool circumferentially extending recess upon rotation of the spool so as to extend from or retract into the cable exit opening;
a ribbon cable having a first end and a second end, the ribbon cable first end being attached to the handset cable second end and the ribbon cable second end being attached to the static electrical connector whereby the ribbon cable is electrically connected between the static electrical connection and the handset cable;
a cover, and
releasable fastening means for removably and replaceably securing the cover over the access opening so that, with the cover removed, the spool is exposed in the access opening; whereby the handset cable with attached ribbon cable may be removed by unwinding from the spool and lifting from the notch for servicing or repair of the cable reel.
The invention may also provide a cradle for a handset comprising:
a casing defining an access opening and a cable exit opening, the cable exit opening communicating with a handset receiving recess formed in the casing;
a static electrical connection located externally of the casing;
a spool rotatably received within the casing;
a handset cable having a first end and a second end, the handset cable first end being attachable to a handset in use, at least a portion of the handset cable being windable onto or off the spool upon rotation thereof so as to extend from or retract into the cable exit opening;
a ribbon cable having a first end and a second end, the ribbon cable first end being attached to the handset cable second end and the ribbon cable second end being attached to the static electrical connector whereby the ribbon cable is electrically connected between the static electrical connection and the handset cable;
a cover, and
releasable fastening means for removably and replaceably securing the cover over the access opening so that, with the cover removed, the spool is exposed in the access opening for servicing or repair.
The invention may further provide a repair kit for a cable reel, comprising:
a static connector;
a ribbon cable having first and second ends, the ribbon cable first end being preassembled to the static connector; and
a handset cable having first and second ends, the handset cable first end being preassembled to the ribbon cable second end.
The invention and various preferred objects, features and advantages thereof will be further understood from the following description of illustrative embodiments made with reference to the accompanying drawings.